gordianplotfandomcom-20200214-history
SOME TRICKS OF THE STORY - TELLER'S TRADE
Let what he did tell what he was. — Walter L. Hervey. Bible stories are models in this respect. You are left to read as much between the lines as you choose, but the kernel of the message is soon revealed. You are in touch with real life from start to finish and essentials only are admitted. — Samuel B. Haslett. A vigorous style is almost always concise. . . . Good writers never encumber their stories with useless matter. They may introduce a multitude of details, but every one serves a definite purpose. — Gardiner, Kittredge, and Arnold. There are no stories in any language of the world, which so aptly and precisely perform this function as the Bible stories, and this for a very simple reason, — the language in which they were originally written, the Hebrew, like the child's language, has no abstract words. All Hebrew words are concrete, just as the little child's words are. — Louise Seymour Houghton. Good story-tellers deal very little in abstractions and are very liberal in the use of figures of speech. — E. Lyell Earl. CERTAIN devices are so commonly used by good story-tellers, and are so effective in adding interest to the story itself, that we overlook them in our enjoyment of the tales. We respond to their influence, but do not analyze sufficiently to realize just what gives the peculiar charm or force to the story that we enjoy. That it is more than the story itself we realize as soon as we listen to a favorite tale rehearsed without the omission of any essential element by one who lacks instinctive taste or the skill that training gives. For the most part these devices are simply successful methods of applying principles that have been suggested in connection with the discussion of- the story itself. _ They are so simple that any one who can tell a story at all can so use them as to add largely to the value of his work, while at the same time they afford opportunity for the display of the finest taste and the most perfect art. One of the most important of these literary devices is the use of direct rather than indirect discourse. Through its use a certain vivacity of style is gained, and it adds movement and lifelikeness to the tale. There is no easier way to give the semblance of reality to an imaginary tale than by letting the characters speak for themselves. The personality of the narrator is less intrusive, and the effect upon the hearer is that of looking on at a scene in real life. On the other hand, in the most literally pro¬saic tale characters who are not permitted to do their own talking seem but half alive. Here as at many other points the parables of Jesus are splendid models. Note the story of the unrighteous steward in Luke 16. "There was a certain rich man, who had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he was wasting his goods. And he called him, and said unto him, What is this that I hear of thee ? render the account of thy stewardship; for thou canst be no longer steward. And the steward said within himself, What shall I do, seeing that my lord taketh away the steward¬ship from me ? I have not strength to dig; to beg I am ashamed. I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses. And calling to him each one of his lord's debtors, he said to the first, How much owest thou unto my lord ? And he said, A hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bond, and sit down quickly and write fifty," etc. Translate this into indirect discourse and how much of interest and force is lost! It will be a description of life, indeed, but here it is life itself. An illustration of unconscious appreciation of the value of this method of emphasizing life and action in a story is found in the "Says I" and "Says he" of the illiterate person who defeats his end only because he needlessly obtrudes upon the hearer the device which he uses. The beginner in formal story-telling is almost sure, probably because of embarrassment and undue conscious¬ness of his own personality, to fall into the way of describ¬ing at long range the most interesting movement of his tale, instead of by this plan literally reproducing the parts of it which most fully reveal the personality of the leading characters. A glance at almost any example from our best writers of short stories will reveal illustrations of the method. The secret of its value is easily discovered. In indirect discourse you are necessarily conscious of the personality of the narrator; in direct discourse it is the personality of the actor that is stressed. Another very helpful device is the rhythmic repetition b of certain significant words or phrases from time to ti me through the progress of the tale. In the fairy- and ‘Vbt folk-tales this frequently appears, as in case of the • )) " hoppity-kick, hoppity-kick " of the little half chick, the "trip-trop, trip-trop" of the three goats crossing C\ the bridge, and the various remarks of the big bear, the '6. middle-sized bear, and the little wee bear. In such cases the story gains an added quaintness of form which has value in itself. The little child, puzzled by much that is unfamiliar, remembers the rhythmic phrase and wel¬comes it as we greet an old friend in a strange city. It has a further value, too, for the repetition of a descriptive phrase serves to identify a person or to point out identity of action or of feeling. Indeed it has, as Dr. Hervey has said, precisely the meaning of the leit motif in music. The child follows the story more readily and masters its meaning more surely. The artistic story-teller will use this device with great effectiveness and power. He will carefully choose the repeated phrase that it may suggest the denouement and point the lesson of the tale. So in the story of Blun¬derhead, the thunder that first rumbles, then rolls, and finally crashes overhead prepares for the approaching climax. In several of the Psalms, notably in 46, 103, 118, and 147, unity is emphasized andthe meaning is clarified by such a device. The poets use it frequently. Kip¬ling's "A rag and a bone and a hank of hair" more than hints at the conclusion from the first, and indelibly impresses the lesson, while the Recessional affords a pleasanter example of a device which in slightly dif¬ferent form may add much to the impressiveness of a tale. Some of the old stories in which action predominates and conversation is brief but very significant give the speeches in verse. This appeals to the child's interest as well as to the folk-mind, and in somewhat the same way as in case of the rhythmic repetition mentioned above. This device has been adopted by some of the best German writers of children's stories, and is very largely used by some of the most successful kinder¬garten story-tellers. It is not as difficult to introduce this feature into the stories that we tell young children as it might at first seem, for they do not demand rigid formality in either rhyme or meter. In oral stories for children, and usually in the case of adults as well, the simplest grammatical constructions are preferable. In complex sentences words must be carried in memory and thought held in suspense until the end is reached. The use of short sentences and the avoidance of inverted forms except for special emphasis enables the listener to devote his whole attention to the story itself— and this means that it gains added power. For the same reason the terse Anglo-Saxon words are to be preferred. Colloquialisms are as appropriate in most stories as technical terms are in a scientific treatise. In short, whatever tends to shift attention from the form to the story itself, and to make that a faith¬ful transcript of life is to be commended. Not only is action rather than thought to be empha¬sized, but whatever gives concreteness to the presentation is of value. An argument can be framed from abstrac¬tions, but the very conception of the story brings it into the field of realities of another sort. Even the choice of words and the use of figures that are based on material existences tend to increase the feeling of reality that the story should always convey. Another characteristic of a good style is worthy of special mention. This is brevity. Toward it most of the suggestions already given point. The principle of unity suggests it, the emphasis upon action and concrete statements favors it, and the choice of simple and straightforward language tends toward the same result. In exposition something of repetition and reiteration of fact are often appropriate, but not so in the story, lest movement and force be sacrificed. Here again all the Bible stories are models to be fol¬lowed. As retold by the teacher or preacher who has neglected the art of narration, thought and feeling, as well as action, are often buried beneath an excess of verbiage. Andrew D. White says, "Dr. Eastburn was much given to amplification, and Gilman always insisted that he had heard him once, when preaching on the parable of Dives and Lazarus, discuss the prayer of Dives in torment for a drop of water, as follows: 'To this, my brethren, under the circumstances entirely natural, but at the same time no less completely inad¬missible request, the aged patriarch replied,' " etc. It is unnecessary to comment on the result of such expansion of the story. Usually the first draft of the beginner's story needs condensation, though this is not always inconsistent with a certain amount of subsequent amplification of the really vital points. Careful comparison of unskilled work with the best models will show that the latter are as re¬markable for what they omit as for that which they relate. A multitude of petty details is both annoying and un¬necessary. It is safe to assume some power of imagination on the part of the listener. Another quality which is less commonly desirable is that of freshness of form. That children do not object to repeti¬tion of their old favorites no patient motherorgood-natured uncle needs to be informed. Even the publishers realize that novelty is not essential here, as Dear Old Stories Told Once More and Twice-told Tales testify. The little child often resents the change of a word or phrase. But if a story which is in advance of a child's interest is forced upon him, if it is repeatedly told in an unin¬teresting way, and if too obvious moralizing has been associated with it, the child tires of hearing it, and its value, if so presented it ever had a value, is lost. If now it is allowed to be forgotten for a time, and then is presented in such a form that it is not recognized until interest has been aroused, it will again gain teaching power. Unfortunately many of the Bible stories have suffered in just this way. Hence the value of sometimes departing entirely from the classic perfection of the King James Version to what may be a less finished literary form. But if this be done it is but to overcome prejudice and let the story do its work. HINTS FOR FIRST - HAND STUDY Try the effect of changing the direct into indirect discourse in one of the parables of Jesus, making no unnecessary changes in the language. Without telling what you have done read this version to a friend who is familiar with the original, and ask for criticism. Observe the value of this device in the stories told in the club or class. Make a list of the familiar stories that repeat significant phrases, and tell them to children and adults, noting the interest at these points. In one or two familiar stories give the conversation in verse, and observe the result in the children's interest. If this is too difficult, tell a story in which this device is used, but putting the conversation in prose. Later use the original version, and study the effect. If possible visit several kindergartens at the story hour and observe both the story-teller and the listeners with these sugges¬tions in mind. Take some story which you have told without special success, and after effort to strengthen it along the lines of the suggestions above outlined, give it another test. Turn to some of the best collections of stories and see to what extent these simple rules have been followed and with what results. OUTLINE FOR STUDY OF THE TOPIC 1. Literary devices of value. a. Direct discourse. b. Rhythmic repetition. c. Dialogue in verse. 2. Further suggestions as to form. a. Simplicity of language. b. Concreteness in content and form. c. Conciseness and brevity. d. Freshness of form.